The Postal Service and individuals and organizations across the nation will observe Women’s History Month in March.
Women have shaped postal history since 1775, when Mary Katherine Goddard was appointed the first woman postmaster in Baltimore. The tradition continues under the leadership of Megan J. Brennan, who became the first woman Postmaster General last year.
Other trailblazers include Polly Martin, who drove a mail wagon in Massachusetts from 1860-1876, becoming the first woman known to carry mail on a contract route, and Katherine Stinson, who became the first woman pilot to carry mail in 1913.
The first known women to serve as city carriers were Permelia Campbell and Nellie McGrath, who began delivering mail to customers in Washington, DC, in 1917.
Also, since 2011, Jeanette Dwyer has served as the first woman president of the National Rural Letter Carriers’ Association.
The Postal Service’s workforce today includes almost 280,000 women, or about 45 percent of employees.
The Blue Multicultural Resources site and usps.com have more information about Women’s History Month and pioneering women of the nation’s postal system.